To Fear The Future
by Katie Katherine
Summary: This story is about Merlin and his family and friends as they trust God. It is before season 5. Enjoy! Part of the How It Should Have Been series.


_**To Fear the Future**_

_**Merlin**_

It is a beautiful summer day, the birds are singing, the sun is shining and Merlin, Freya, and their two kids are out on a picnic. They were laughing, talking, and having a lot of fun. They were near a lake so they went wading and were getting each other wet.

"Okay be careful you two. Hey, stop getting me wet. I'm going to get Morgana." Merlin laughed.

"No. Ahh! Get Will. Your getting me wet, father." Morgana pleaded.

"Got you. Will, be ready. I'm going to get you."Merlin chuckled.

"No, don't. Ahh." Will screamed.

"Got both of you. Now let's go get you mother wet." Merlin said happily. Freya went to get dried off. She was in water for only a few minutes.

"Do not get me wet you three. No don't. Hey get off me." Freya pleaded as the other 3 got near her. Then Merlin pulled Freya into the water. They played for a few minutes.

"Okay guys get off your mother and get dried off. Then you can take a nap." Merlin ordered Morgana and Will to do.

"I can't take a nap, father. I can sense something bad." Morgana said sadly.

"Try to take a nap, ok. We can play in an hour or two." Merlin said quietly.

"Okay." Morgana said sadly. Morgana knew that she would not sleep. She knew that something bad was going to happen. Morgana and Will were nearly three years old. Then they got captured by a group of Saxons.

"No. Leave me alone. Stop." Freya cried.

"Leave us alone. Get away. Stop. Freya! Morgana! Will! Leave them alone." Merlin screamed.

"Father! Mother! Help us." Morgana and Will yelled. Then Merlin was knocked unconscious. To be sure that Merlin was unconscious they made Merlin inhale a drug that was on the cloth. They did the same to the others. They were knocked unconscious. When they woke up they were in separate cells. Merlin was last to wake up because he was hit in the head and drugged. Then the leader came to see them. The cells were made of stone and dirt. The cell was musty, old, wet, and was infected with rodents and humans' vomit. There were cobwebs, mold, and rodents' waste. It smelled like vomit and other waste. It was hard not to vomit because it was so bad. Merlin, Freya, and the kids all thought that this was torture and very stupid.

Kendrick chuckled and said, "I have brought you here so I can see how much you love each other and to see if you really are sorcerers. Now who shall I torture to death?"

"Me. I love my family so much that I will take all their pain, gladly." Merlin said angrily.

"No fathers don't! We all should go through the pain together! Mother please stop father!" Morgana and Will said tearfully.

"No you can't! Please don't! You will die! Merlin listen to us please!" said Freya tearfully.

"I have no choice, Freya. Torture me but leave my family alone. Do I make myself clear?" Merlin said angrily.

"You have a deal. Take him away. Beat him up now." Kendrick said happily.

So they took Merlin and beat him in front of his family. When they were done hurting Merlin they took him so they could torture him some more.

Before they took Merlin he said happily, "Everything is going to be fine. Ok. I love you don't forget that." He gave them hope. They tried to smile at Merlin to show they understood. When he left, Freya, Morgana, and Will were in tears. They had hope and knew that they would be fine. They wanted to sleep and think this was a dream but they knew it was not a dream.

Meanwhile at Camelot everyone was trying to find Merlin. One day had pasted and no word from them. Arthur had a few patrols go and find them. All came back saying that they did not see them. Arthur was getting worried. He sent more patrols out each day for 2 days. Meanwhile, Merlin was being tortured. Merlin was in a room that was light and covered in blood from other people. Kendrick tried to get Merlin to tell the truth about his family.

Merlin smiled and say. "It is not your business. I will never tell you. You might as well give up." Then a man would come and hit Merlin with a whip. Merlin would scream in pain but would smile knowing that Arthur was coming. That his family would be safe. Before he went back to his cell a girl would come and give him some water. The water had drugs that Merlin did not need. He was starting to get very sick.

When he got back to his cell, Morgana asked quietly, "Are you going to be okay father? You are very pale. Are we going to be okay? Tell us honestly."

Merlin sighed and explained honestly, "I don't know but we have each other which is the most important thing. I'm fine. Ok. We just need to pray to God and he will help us. He always does even when we don't know it. We should pray that God will somehow give Arthur a sign. Let's pray. Lord thank you for all of us. Help us get out alive. Give someone a sign of where we are. Help us to turn to you for help. Help us to love each other and stay true to love and to you. Thank you for all you've done. In your holy name we pray, Amen."

Will asked curiously, "How much does God love us?"

"So much that he sent his son to die on the cross. Jesus was perfect. We are not because of sin. When we believe in Jesus we get to go to heaven. When you are older you can believe. God gave us hope and salvation."Freya said happily.

"If God loves us then why is there sin?" Morgana asked curiously.

"Yeah! Who created sin? Who sinned first? Will asked.

"Eve was the first one to sin. The earth was perfect till Adam and Eve at the fruit of the tree God told them not to eat." Merlin said to his kids happy that they wanted to learn.

"But Eve was tempted by a serpent which was Satan. When they sinned it entered the world so we all sin." Freya said.

"I know God created us but why do people believe in other gods? How long did it take God to create the world?"Asked Morgana angrily.

"I know why you're angry. No there is only one God. People believe in other gods cause of sin. It took God seven days to create the world. On the first day, God created day and night." Merlin explained.

"On the second day, God separated the water and air." Freya continued.

"On the third day, God created dry land, grass, and trees." Merlin happily told his kids.

"On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, and stars!" Freya said happily.

"On the fifth day, God made creatures in the water and sky." Merlin said realizing that he was tired.

"On the sixth day, God made animals and us. Right Merlin? Merlin?"Freya said. She looked at Merlin and saw that he was asleep.

"Is father asleep?" Asked Morgana.

Freya sighed and answered," Yes he is. Merlin's very tired. We all should get some rest. That's what God did on the seventh day."

"Is father going to be fine? Mother?" Will asked.

"I don't know. His hands are very hot. I hope he will be fine." Freya said hoping that Merlin would be fine. Then Kendrick and 3 guys came.

"No he won't. He won't be warm for long. Take him away. Beat him now. Beat him till he's losing blood." Kendrick said angrily. The guys began to beat Merlin just as he woke up.

"Stop! Leave me alone! Please stop! Stop! Ow! Stop! Ah! Ouch! Please stop! Leave me..." Merlin said and then he was unconscious.

"Take him away. We'll make him freeze to death." Kendrick said excitedly. They took Merlin away. Freya and the kids cried and hoped that he would be fine. Kendrick threw Merlin in a room that was very cold. They tied his hands together. The room had ice and cold water in it. The walls were thick and very dark. There was no crakes in the wall.

Meanwhile, at Camelot, Arthur decides to go out on patrol with Leon, Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival. They went to where Merlin and his family had their picnic. They found clues to help them find Merlin. Then Gwaine found a trail that might help them.

"Here! I found a trail that might help lead to Merlin and his family."Gwaine said hopefully.

"Let's follow it. We should wait till morning. It's getting dark." Arthur answered. So they made camp and they talked about Merlin. Then they all went to sleep except Arthur. He was worried about Merlin. He hoped that Merlin would be okay. He had a hard time sleeping.

Meanwhile, Merlin was in a room freezing to death. He was unconscious for several hours. He was not wearing his shirt. When he woke up he was so cold that he could not move. He knew that he had to get to the door. He was almost at the door, when he realized that he had broken several ribs. He was also bleeding. He got to the door and he tried to keep warm.

Then Kendrick went to see if Merlin was near the door. He looked and found Merlin shivering near the door. He was not able to talk. Kendrick grabbed Merlin and tortured him some more. As Kendrick grabbed Merlin, he began to moan in pain. He tried to stop.

Merlin was tortured for about 15 minutes. Then Kendrick decided to do something. So Merlin was taken back to his cell to say good bye to his family. When Merlin got to the cells he was crying because he did not want to die.

"Morgana and Will come give me a hug. I love you so much don't forget that. It's okay to cry because it shows love. Help your mother, Morgana. When you dream remember what I told you to do. Will do not fight. Do not hurt others. Okay." Merlin said tearfully.

"Okay. We don't want you to die. I can heal you father, remember. What if I do it accidently?" Morgana asked quietly.

"Just let it happen because it shows love. Don't be afraid or frightened okay. If they ask you what happened just say it's called love. If you do heal me when you sleep try to have a vision of where Arthur is. Hold up1 finger if he is a long way from here. 2 if he's half way here. 3 if he's almost here." Merlin whispered.

"Father, I don't want you to die. I love you father." Will said tearfully and gave Merlin another hug.

"Shh! It's okay. Every things going to fine. Now let me see you mother." Merlin said tearfully. He went to see Freya.

She gave Merlin a hug and tearfully said, "I don't want this to happen. I love you so much Merlin. I wish this was a dream. This cannot be. I wish that I could wake up and let you hold me till I fall back to sleep. You are so cold and pale, Merlin."

"Yeah, I know. I love you more than I can express. Don't let anything stop you from trying to love me when I'm dying. Look at me." Merlin said tearfully and then he kissed Freya. When they were done all four were grabbed and brought to the place Merlin would be tortured. Merlin was tied to a pole and tortured.

He was hit with a whip a few times and stoned. Merlin cried in pain. A few minutes later Kendrick stabbed Merlin near the heart with a sword. Merlin gasped and was untied from the pole. He fell and put his knees up to his chest.

When it happened Freya said, "Merlin. Let me go. Merlin be strong."Freya and her kids were released and they ran to Merlin as he was dying. Freya sat down and put Merlin's head on her lap.

"Merlin, look at me. Open your eyes Merlin. Speak to us, Merlin. Merlin! Please!" Freya said tearfully.

Merlin opened his eyes and said painfully, "Hey. Ow! It… hurts… so… much. I… can't…"

"Merlin, no. Look at me. That's it. It's okay. Merlin! No! Stay with us. Please. I know it hurts but you need to take deep breathes. Come on, Merlin. That's it. Keep doing it. Merlin, no listen to me." Freya said tearfully. Morgana put her head on Merlin's chest. Merlin gasped and began to wake up.

Kendrick saw it and asked, "What did you do? Tell me now."

"It's called love. You GENIUS. If you don't know what that means you're dead because God is love. STUPID." Morgana yelled.

"Who are you calling stupid? Me or this God?" Kendrick asked confused.

"You! God is the one true." Morgana said angrily.

"Take them away. Not Merlin. We're still not done with him. Do not put them in chains." Kendrick yelled.

Meanwhile, it was morning and Arthur and the knights were trying to find Merlin. Arthur feared that they might be dead. They kept looking. Leon and Elyan kept telling Arthur that everything will be fine.

In the cells Morgana had a vision of where Arthur was. He was half way there. She wanted to tell her father but he was being tortured. Merlin was beaten till he was unconscious. He was put in a room that was on fire. When he woke up he was coughing a lot because he was suffocating. There was very dry hay which caught on fire quickly.

He tried to get out. He burnt his arm trying to get out. He burnt his leg trying to get by the fire. He screamed in pain. When he got to the door, he looked at the wound near his heart. He was dying. He knew that Morgana did not have the strength to heal his wound.

She only healed it enough to give Merlin only a couple of days. He was still bleeding a bit. He tried to stop the bleeding just as two guards came and grabbed Merlin. He was kicked and punched. He screamed and yelled in pain.

He was chained in his cell. Morgana held up 2 fingers. Merlin knew that Arthur was almost there. He went to sleep and slept for a few hours. Freya kept trying to help Merlin when he was coughing. Then Kendrick came and grabbed Merlin. Once again Merlin was put in a freezing cold room. Several hours later Merlin woke up. He tried to get up and walk but he had been badly injured to the point he couldn't move.

An hour later he got to the door but was in a lot of pain. When he got to the door he could barely feel his arms and legs. He was so tired that he tried to sleep. An hour later Kendrick came, grabbed Merlin and threw him in his cell. He was beaten and put in chains.

Merlin was shivering so much that he had a hard time breathing. Freya grabbed a blanket and put it on Merlin. Merlin tried to sleep but was in a lot of pain. Freya put her hand on Merlin's forehead. When she put her hand on his head, Merlin sighed in relief. Freya realized that he was very cold all over.

Morgana asked quietly, "Is father going to be all right?"

Freya sighed and said, "I don't know. His face is pale, cold, and covered in bruises. That's why his body is blue, black, purple, and red. He's lost a lot of blood. The wound near his heart is still bleeding a bit. He might be fine. We just need to hope that he will."

"He will never be okay. Guards grab him and beat him. Now." Kendrick yelled.

"No! Please! Leave… me… alone. Please… stop. Ow. I… can't… breathe. Ouch. Stop. It… hurts. It… hurts… so… much." Merlin cried painfully.

"Take him away. We will finish him off once and for all. He will be dead by morning." Kendrick yelled. So they took Merlin away. Freya and her kids cried when Merlin was gone. Merlin was tied to a pole and beaten. He screamed and yelled in pain. Meanwhile, Arthur and the knights got to where Merlin was. They went in.

Kendrick was mad that Merlin would not tell him about his family, so Kendrick stabbed Merlin with a sword near the liver. Merlin gasped and cried in pain. Arthur heard Merlin and went running. The knights followed knowing that it was Merlin.

"You're going to die now. Your daughter is not here to heal you." Kendrick said happily.

"Leave Merlin alone. He doesn't deserves to die." Arthur said angrily.

"Look at Merlin. He doesn't look like he'll live. He is going to die." Kendrick said angrily. Then he stabbed Merlin again. Merlin gasped and screamed. He began to cry in pain.

"Merlin. Leave him alone. Now." Arthur yelled.

"NO." Kendrick answered. Then they began to fight. Arthur killed Kendrick but in his dying breath he stabbed Merlin again. Merlin cried in pain. Arthur, Leon, and Percival untied Merlin's hands from the pole. Arthur held Merlin.

"Merlin. Hey. Look at me. Come on. Just breathe. Come on. Stay with me. Look at me. Try to tell me what happened. Talk to me Merlin." Arthur said tearfully.

"Ar… th…ur. Arthur. Hey. It…Hurts. It… hurts…so…much. I'm… so… scared… and…cold. Where's… my… family? Ow. It… hurts… all… over. Help…" Merlin strained.

"Merlin, no. Stay with me. That's it. We'll get you to your family. Come on. Be strong. Let's get Merlin back to his family. Get a blanket or something. He's dying. Let's go." Arthur said sadly. They got Merlin back to the cells but put Merlin down in his cell. They released Merlin's family. Freya and Morgana ran to Merlin. Morgana revived Merlin. Morgana was so tired that she went to sleep. Will was already asleep.

"I'll carry Merlin. Percival and Gwaine get Will and Morgana. Freya can you walk?" Arthur said quickly.

"Yes."Freya answered.

"Let's go then."Gwaine said while getting Morgana. They got out without being attacked. They got on the horses and rode for several hours. They found Merlin's shirt, scarf, and jacket. So they put the shirt and jacket on Merlin to keep him warm. They were almost at Camelot when it was dark. Arthur knew that they were an hour away from Camelot.

Arthur said sternly, "We are almost there. So let's go. I know it's dark but we have to." They got to Camelot got Merlin to Gaius's chamber. Arthur got Merlin in bed.

"I need fresh water, bandages, a needle, thread, tincture of belladonna, aloe Vera, wolf bane, feverfew, hawthorn, peppermint, hypericum perforatum, thyme, valerian, salis alba, yerba Santa, rue, yarrow, lungwort, dianthus, and comfrey. He's having a hard time breathing. He lost a lot of blood. I also need some cloth to clear the blood." Gaius demanded.

"I'll get that." Freya said quickly.

"I'll help you, Freya." Arthur said helpfully. Gaius began to treat Merlin.

"Will he be all right?" Freya asked tearfully.

"I don't know. He's very pale from blood lost. He needs a lot of rest. He has a fever. And it's very high. He might have problems breathing for a while. Give me the cloth to bandage his arm." Gaius said quietly.

"Here I know he will be thirsty and hungry. How could he have such a high fever?"

"I don't know. Let's look to see if he has any broken ribs." Gaius took off Merlin's shirt and sadly said. "Now we know why. Give me a wet cloth. We need to see the injuries more easily. He has several broken ribs. You can tell. There's something in all four wounds. Got them. There pieces of swords and their poisoned. He's going to be very sore. It might hurt for him to breath. He's starting to come around. Freya try to calm him down. He will begin to panic."

"Okay. Here's the cloth. Hey Merlin look at me. Hey it's okay. Just sleep. Relax. How do you feel?" Freya said quietly.

"My…arm,… leg,… head,… ribs. It… hurts… all… over. It… hurts… doing… anything." Merlin strained.

"Its okay, Merlin. Just relax. Relax. Gaius is he going to be all right?" Freya said calmly.

"He's lost a lot of blood. The 4 wounds are infected and very deep. He might be all right but if he is he will have to be very careful. He will be in a lot of pain when I bandage his wounds. Merlin look at me. I need you to be very calm so I can stitch the wounds up. Can you do that?" Gaius said quietly.

"Yeah. It's hard to be calm but I'll try." Merlin strained painfully.

"Hold my hand and squeeze the pain into me. I can take it." Freya said happily.

"It's going to hurt a lot." Gaius said sadly.

"Ow! My lungs. Ow! Ahh! Ouch! My lungs! It hurts! I can't breathe! It…." Merlin moaned.

"Shh. Merlin stay with me. Look at me. Gaius he's barely breathing. He's unconscious. How is he?" Freya panicked.

"He's very weak. Weaker than I thought. He's still bleeding. I need another towel. I think that's why he passed out. He's head is still warm. The rest of his body is nearly ice cold. I need to get something. Can you try to stop the bleeding?" Gaius said quickly.

"Yes. How many towels have you use to stop the bleeding? I know that you've used a few but that's means Merlin's losing too much blood. Are you going to give him something to stop the bleeding? He's in a lot of pain." Freya tearfully.

"Hold his nose. I need to give him something to help him. Swallow, Merlin. That's it."Gaius said calmly. Merlin swallowed it.

"Is he going to be all right? He's still barely breathing. What did you give him?" Freya questioned.  
"I gave him yarrow. I've had to use 2 towels. That is the third towel I've had to use. Let me see if he's stopped bleeding. Finally he stopped bleeding. Give me the needle and thread. I also need rue lungwort, and hawthorn." Gaius said quickly.

"Ok. Here how is he? He's very pale. Can I help?" Freya asked softly. Merlin moaned in pain as Gaius stitched his wounds.

"He might be all right but we need to see what his leg needs to heal. He still hot. Since were done with his head, put a wet cloth on his head to help with his fever. Get me some bandages. I'm done with the wounds. All I need to do is bandage it up good and give him medicine."

"Here His fever is lower than it was. How's his leg? It was burnt pretty bad."

"Good. His leg is very bad. Get me aloe Vera. His leg is broken. He will recover from it but who knows about the rest of his body."

"Here I hope he sleeps peacefully. He needs it. I hope he doesn't go into a coma. He's very weak and thin. Could that be from the broken ribs?"

"Possibly. He's moaning in pain. We need to get him to be calm. Try to help him. He always listens."

"Okay. Merlin listen to me. Be calm. Sleep Merlin. Sleep. That's it. Your fine. Relax. Shh. It's ok. Just breathe. Gaius you're right. Merlin always listens." Freya said calmly while rubbing her hand on Merlin's head.

"Give me some bandages. I also need dianthus. He needs a lot of rest. He might be in pain when bandage his wound."

"Here are we done?"

"All I need to do is give him some medicines and we are done." Then Gaius gave Merlin something to help him sleep. When Morgana and Will woke up they got ready for bed, said good night to Gaius and Freya. Then they went to bed. Freya went to bed a couple of hours later. Merlin was breathing heavily because of his injuries affecting his lungs. A few hours later Merlin woke up panicking. Freya woke up and saw that Merlin was awake.

"What happened? Where's the kids? Where's Arthur? What going on?" Merlin asked weakly.

"Merlin it's okay. Just lie down. That's it. Just rest and I'll tell you what happened." Freya said calmly while rubbing Merlin's arm trying to calm him down.

"Okay tell me what happened." Merlin asked quietly while lying down. So they talked about what happened. Freya was almost done tell Merlin what happened when she saw that Merlin was asleep. She went to sleep quickly because Merlin had his left arm around her. The next morning, Gaius went in to check on Merlin when Freya woke up.

"Gaius he woke up last night. He wanted to hold me close. If he hadn't I would never have fallen asleep. I told him what happened. He went back to sleep when I was almost done. I guess he was very tired. I don't blame him." Freya said quietly.

"Sleeps the best thing for him. He's very pale from all the blood he lost. When he wakes up I need to give him some medicines. If he's in too much pain then I might have to give him tincture of belladonna. He is very badly injured. He will be in a lot of pain. I hope he will be fine. Let's let him rest." Gaius said quietly. So Freya got dressed and went to help Gaius make breakfast. An hour later Morgana and Will woke up. They got dressed and ate breakfast. When they were done eating, Gwen and Lancelot came to see Freya and the kids.

"Hey Lancelot wanted to come and see Will. I decided to Come and see you because you know what. I'm pregnant again. I told Arthur and Lancelot about the fact that pregnant. How's Merlin?" Gwen said emotionally.

"I can tell. I'm pregnant too. I haven't told them yet. WE don't know. He's very pale. He woke up last night. He'll be ok because I know everyone will give good thoughts." Freya explained.

"I know that we will give good thoughts. You wrists are red. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sit down. I need to check on Merlin. Where's Arthur?"

"He's at training practice. He said that he will come by later. Lancelot don't hit Morgana. Give Will the toy back." Gwen said while grabbing Lancelot."

"What happened? Will did you hit Lancelot? Morgana you can play in here."

"No. Lancelot hit Will and me. Is father going to be okay? Can I watch over him? Please! Please! I can do it. Please!" Morgana begged quietly.

"Okay." Freya said happily.

"Yes!"

"But you have to tell me when he wakes up. You can't fall asleep. You have to give him water. Also you can't be loud. His head will hurt. He will be very tired. If he wakes up panicking then you must calm him down. Ok."

"Ok. Anything's better than Lancelot and Will hitting, taking toys away, and telling me to shut up."

"I know. I'll come in and check on him in a few hours. Arthur will be here soon." Freya said happily. She went out to talk to Gwen and tell the boys to be quiet. A couple of hours later Arthur came to see Merlin.

He went into Merlin's room quietly and asked, "What are you doing here, Morgana? Who said you could watch your father? Did I scare you?" He began tickling Morgana.

Morgana laughed quietly and said, "No. Mather said I could. Oh, I know that you were teasing me again."

"You need to stop being so smart. How is he?"

"He's still cold. That might be from the he lost or the fact that he was in a freezing cold room twice. I hope he wakes up soon."

"I know but he needs rest and a lot of it."

Arthur left the room. An hour later Freya went to check on Merlin. Just as she went in Merlin woke up screaming. Morgana managed to calm Merlin down.

"Merlin look at me. How do you feel?"Freya asked quietly.

"It hurts all over. Its hurts to breathe. I can't breathe. I'm so tired. How long have I been asleep? Can I have some water?"

"Here, drink some water. You were asleep for half a day. Just rest. Morgana go tell Gaius that he's awake." Morgana went out to tell Gaius.

"Do you remember what happened a few years ago?"

"With Dinias? Then yes. Why?"

Merlin nodded. "I think it's happening again."

"Oh, no. Just rest. Ok. Morgana insisted that she could look after you."

"At least she cares. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine. Arthur and Gwen are here. Why did you ask?"

"You look a bit pale. You look the way you did when you were pregnant. Your pregnant again aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. So is Gwen. Only a month more than me. I've only been pregnant for 3 and ½ months."

"You might have twins again. I hope. I know you haven't told the kids. Tell them to come in here and we can tell them together."

"Will, Morgana come in here." Freya said happily.

"What is it? What's going on?" Morgana questioned while getting on the bed.

"We have something to tell you. It's good news." Merlin said happily.

"I'm going to have a baby or two soon. You're going to be big siblings soon."Freya said excitedly.

"I'm going to be a big sister and 3 have little siblings." Morgana said joyfully.

"Hey I'm old." Will complained.

"Morgana's right. She is older." Merlin chuckled.

"I hope it's a girl." Morgana hoped.

"I hope it's a boy." Will hoped.

"I hope it's a girl and boy." Freya laughed.

"Let's pray that God will allow Freya to give birth to a boy and girl. Lets pray." Merlin said happily. They held each other's hands bowed their heads. "Lord thank you for this day. Thank you for helping us get out alive. We pray that Gwen and Freya will give birth to healthy kids. We pray that Freya will give birth to a girl and boy. Help us till then to go in your word. So when the babies are born that they will also grow in the word. In your holy name we pray amen."

"Okay, you 2 get ready for bed. No fighting." Freya said happily. Morgana and Will ran and got ready for bed. When they were running Morgana tripped. Then Will tripped. Merlin and Freya laughed when their kids tripped.

"I'd love to see what would happen if there were 3 or 4 kids. Hey, can I have something to eat?" Merlin said happily.

"I'll be right back. Just rest. Ok." Freya said quietly.

"Okay. Can I have some water?"

"Here When Morgana is done getting dressed you might have to hold her. She won't sleep unless someone holds her. She's still very scared about what happened."

"I will." Merlin said quietly. Freya went out to get something for Merlin to eat. When Morgana was done getting dress, she went and sat on Merlin's lap.

"Father, are you going to be all right?" Morgana asked while looking up at Merlin.

_I'm not going to be all right._ Merlin thought. _But how can I tell her this._

"I will be fine. You know that love can heal things. So if you think happy thoughts then I will be fine. Ok."Merlin answered.

"Here Merlin. Try to eat what you can. Come here Morgana. Let your father eat his soup." Freya said happily.

"Thanks. I'll try to eat all of it. Morgana go sit with your mother." Merlin said happily.

"Ok."Morgana said dramatically and quietly. They talked for a while when Gaius came in and checked on Merlin. Merlin had just finished all his soup.

"How do you feel?" Gaius asked sadly.

"Tired. It hurts all over. Are you going to give me medicine?" Merlin said sleepfully.

"No. You have drugs in your body that you don't need. We need to get that out before you get worse."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Just sleep. It will help you. You started the first thing yesterday. So the best thing you need is rest."

"Ok. Was I poisoned?"

"Yes. Alfalfa, Belladonna, and Henbane. Those were used as poisons but we gave you the antidote. So all that is in your body will come out including what you ate. Now sleep."

"Ok. Freya stay with me. Please."

"Okay." Freya said happily. So Freya stayed with Merlin. She put Morgana in bed once Merlin was asleep. Then she checked on Will. Will was asleep with his head off the pillow. Freya put Will's head on the pillow and straightens the blankets. Then she got ready for bed and went to bed.

She slept for a few hours when a thunderstorm hit. She woke up and saw that Gaius was a wake. She got dressed and went to see Gaius. They talked about Merlin. Then Merlin woke up screaming. He did this for the rest of the day and tomorrow. Then in the morning, Merlin woke up retching.

"Morgana, Will, stay here." Freya said sternly.

"Mother what's happening to father? Is he going to be ok?" Morgana asked frigtenly.

"I don't know. Just stay out here. Ok." Freya said sadly.

"We will. I'll watch Morgana. What can we do?" Will said sternly.

"Just give good thoughts. Stay here. You can come in when he's done." Freya said happily.

"Ok." Morgana said tearfully. Freya went in to help Merlin.

"Oh, no! Why does this have to happen? Ouch! Freya hold my hand. Please! Please stay with me! My Lady of the Lake. Stay with me." Merlin cried.

"I'm here, my Hawk. I'm here. Let it out. It ok."Freya said calmly.

"Ok." Then Merlin let it out.

"That's it. Let it out. I know it hurts but just breathe. Breathe as much as you can before it happens again. Relax."

"I am. How do you feel, my Lady of the Lake? You can rest and let Gaius do this."

"No, my Hawk. I can do this. I'm fine."

"Ok. Ouch! It's happening again. My throat burns! Stay with me."  
"Let it out. Your fine. Come on, my Hawk. Let it out."

"I know that I will be fine." Then he let it out. Then he began to rest. Freya cleaned his chest and tended to Merlin's injuries. Meanwhile, Will was hugging Morgana. They both were crying. Lancelot and his parents were there. Lancelot gave Morgana and Will a hug.

Then Freya came out and said, "Arthur you can see him but only for a few minutes."

"How is he?" Arthur asked quietly.

"He's very tired. This sickness does take the strength of a person out and leaves them weak and tired. He's almost asleep." Freya said sadly. Arthur went in and sat in a chair near Merlin. Merlin had his eyes closed. He was trying to sleep.

"Hey. How do you feel?" Arthur asked quietly.

Merlin opened his eyes and said weakly, "Horrible. But I know that I will be ok. How's Gwen?"

"She's fine. She's reacting the way Freya did when she was pregnant. So we think she might have twins."

"Freya will not rest till I am better."

"I'd better let you rest." Arthur said and left the room. For the next 2 days Merlin vomited a couple of times. When he woke up Freya was always there. Then the last time Merlin vomited the kids were there. Merlin began to run a fever.

"Merlin, this is the last time. Let it out." Freya said quietly while taking a damp cloth and wiped the sweat off Merlin head.

"Ok. My Lady of the Lake, stay with me. Help me and hold my hand." Merlin cried.

"I'm here. Let it out."Freya said calmly. Then Merlin let it out for the last time. When he did he took Freya's hand and kissed it. Then he went to sleep. He rarely woke up for the next 3 days. He had a very high fever and just as Freya put a cold and wet cloth on Merlin's head it was warm again. When it was all over, his breath began to leave him.

Morgana and Will went to sit with their parents. Morgana had her head on Merlin's chest. The other 2 had their heads on Merlin's shoulder. Then Merlin began coughing and breathing normally. Everyone was happy. In a month Merlin was up and about.

One day Freya had a vision about giving birth. She told Merlin to write a letter to Hunith. So Merlin did. Freya has been pregnant for 7 months now. When Hunith and Balinor got the note it said,

"Please, come as soon as you can. Freya and I want you to come. Freya has had visions and thinks that something might happen. I told her that it's nothing to worry about but she thinks something will happen. So please come. Come see your grandkids. Hope you that you will be here by Sunday.

Your son,

Merlin

When Hunith was done reading the letter, Sara came in.

"Hunith, what is it?" Sara asked sternly.

"Merlin wants me and Balinor to come early. But I'm not sure what to do." Hunith said sadly.

"Let me see the note. You should go see them. Me and my sisters will look after things here. Ok."

"Ok. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Sara said happily. So Hunith and Balinor got their things and went to Camelot. When they got there Merlin and Arthur were at the training ground.

"Who has the whole package?" Arthur asked Merlin.

"Percival." Merlin said with confidence.

"Percival is strong but is not very quick."

"Try him with a mace fight."

"OK."

"Percival, Get a mace and shield. Let's fight." Arthur and Percival began to fight but Arthur won.

"I was right. Percival is strong but not quick." Arthur said angrily.

"What about Gwaine?" Merlin asked happily.

"Gwaine is a hothead but is not quick."

"Try him. In a sword fight."

"Gwaine. Sword. Now." Arthur said angrily. Gwaine took off his shirt and gave it to Leon and Leon threw it on the ground. Arthur and Gwaine began to fight but Arthur won.

"Give me my shirt." Gwaine said breathlessly.

"Here" Leon said happily and threw it on the ground.

"Leon, seriously. The ground. Next time I will get you."

"I was right. Same as Percival." Arthur said breathlessly.

"What about Leon?"

"We know he does."

"What about Elyan?"  
"He grew up with Leon and is a blacksmith. So he might be able to."

"Try him with an ax fight."

"Elyan, ax, shield, now."

"Ready?" Elyan asked happily.

"Let's do this." Arthur said happily. So they began to fight. Then the sharp blade on Arthur's ax fell off.

"Merlin, your suppose to check my weapon."

"You're in trouble now."

"Merlin, pass me another weapon. Merlin."

"There are no more weapons." Merlin shouted happily.

"You're in trouble now." Elyan said happily. Then the same thing that happened to Arthur happened to Elyan.

"Merlin, you did this on purpose." Arthur yelled angrily.

"No I didn't." Merlin lied happily.

"Elyan, please stop. I'm serious. Elyan stop."

"No. I'm going to beat you." Elyan said angrily. Then Arthur grabbed the handle of the weapon and beat Elyan.

"Elyan has the strength, speed, and courage but I still win. I know that what you did and if you do anything like that again I will get you."

"Be careful when you sit on the bench."Merlin said happily. Then the bench broke.

"Merlin, why did you do that?"

"I didn't do it alone. Gwaine and Leon helped me."

"I am going to get you." Arthur began to chase Merlin.

When Hunith saw Merlin she said happily, "Merlin! Merlin! Mryddin! Mryddin Merlinus Ambrosius!"

"Mother! Hey. Don't say my real name when the knights are around. Especially Gwaine. I don't want to tell him to shut up." Merlin said happily.

"I will do what I want. How's Freya?"

"She's okay. Let's get your stuff and get you settled."

"Ok." Hunith said happily. So they went to get Hunith and Balinor settled. When they walked into Gaius's chambers this is what happened.

"Grandmother. Grandfather." Morgana and Will yelled happily and ran to give Hunith and Balinor a hug.

"Okay you 2 little nuts let go of your grandmother and grandfather and show them what you are learning." Merlin said happily.

"I'm learning about herbs because I want to be like father when I grow up." Morgana said happily while showing them the herbs.

"I'm learning about animals and how to fight with a sword because I want to be a knight. Arthur says that he will break the first knight code to let me become a knight. Lancelot and I play with wooden swords and try to fight each other." Will said happily while hold up a book of animals and his wooden sword.

"Mother, father, your things are in the room upstairs. Get settled and then we can talk." Merlin said happily. So they got settled. Then they talked at supper.

"Morgana, Will, get ready for bed and go to bed." Merlin said sternly.

"Can you hold me till I get to sleep father?" Morgana asked quietly

"Yes. Now go get ready for bed." Merlin said happily. So Morgana did.

"The girl she is. She's very sweet. She has her father's magical powers, eyes, kindness, and sweetness. Not saying that she's not like you Freya but Will looks more like you." Hunith said happily.

"I'm done getting dressed." Morgana said quietly.

"Come here. Let me hold you." Merlin said happily. Morgana sat on Merlin's lap for an hour.

"Is she asleep?" Freya asked quietly.

"Yeah. I'm going to put her in bed then I'm going to bed." Merlin said quietly. So Merlin put Morgana in bed and went to bed.

The next day Merlin was getting dressed and Freya said happily, "Merlin lets go for a ride. It might be the last time for months. Please! I can't stand being trapped like a prisoner."

"I didn't need this much persuasion. Ok. Besides I have a day off. Let me tell my mother." Merlin said happily. So Merlin told his parents. Then Merlin and Freya went out riding. It was a nice fall day. The wind blew from the west. The air smelled of pine, maple, and oak. It was cool outside. Merlin and Freya talked.

"Let's race to the cover of the woods. Ready! Set! Go!" Freya said happily.

"Hey. I wasn't ready. I'm going to get you." Merlin yelled happily. He caught up with Freya.

"Let ride to the lake." Merlin said happily. They got to the lake.

"Well let the horses rest and we can…" Merlin said then looked at his wife.

"I feel tired. My throat's dry." Freya strained.

"Let's get you off the horse. Just breathe."

"Ok."

"Here. How do you feel?"

"Tired. So tired. What's happening?"

"Shh. Shh. Don't talk. Here, let me give you my jacket." He took off his jacket and put it on Freya. Then he saw the blood. He looked at Freya's horse and saw some blood. He looked at Freya and saw that she was nearly as pale as death.

"You're bleeding." Merlin said quietly. Freya looked at her yellow dress which was now red and covered in blood.

"I think we should go back." Freya moaned. Merlin helped Freya on the horse. He had his right arm around her for support. They got to Camelot half an hour later. Freya fell into Merlin's arms. He held her very close to keep her warm. She was shivering and unconscious. Merlin ran into Gwaine, Percival, Elyan, and Leon.

"Is everything all right, Merlin?" Elyan asked curiously. Then they saw the blood.

"What happened?" Percival asked sternly.

"Let's not bother him. Go get her to Gaius." Gwaine commanded.

"I tell Arthur." Leon said loyally.

"Thanks."Merlin said quietly. Then he walked quickly to their room and put Freya in her bed.

"What happened?" Hunith asked quietly.

"We were out riding and then she began bleeding. I don't know when it happened or how but only that it happened in the woods." Merlin panicked.

"It's ok. It's not your fault. I'll get Gaius. Just stay here."

"Ok." Merlin cried sadly. Freya was on the bed shivering. Merlin took his jacket off and put it on her.

"Shh. It's ok. Come on, my Lady of the Lake. Be strong. You'll be fine." Merlin said softly while rubbing Freya's cheek with the back of his hand.

"How is Freya?" Gaius said quickly as he checked her. "She almost as pale as death. She's very cold."

"What do you want me to do?" Hunith asked sternly while hugging her son.

"Get lots of blankets. A bowl of hot water. Then get Morgana and Will. They should be with Arthur and Gwen."Merlin said tearfully.

"Ok." Hunith said sadly. Then she went to do what she was told.

"Merlin, you should go out and wait."Gaius said calmly.

"No." Merlin said sternly.

"Merlin, please."

"Gaius, she's my wife. She was there for me during the hard times since we met. I'm going to repay her. I will stay with Freya."

"Here's the blankets. The water is warming up. The kids are sitting out there with Gwen and Arthur. How is she?" Hunith asked quietly.

"She's worse. Merlin, hand me a blanket." Gaius said calmly.

"Go get the water. We need it now. Then stay with the kids." Merlin said quietly.

"Ok." Hunith said calmly. She did what she was told.

"Finally. The bleeding stop. Now let's get her warmed up." Gaius commanded.

"Here, she's coming around. Hey, it's ok. You'll be fine. Just rest. Try to sleep. How do you feel?" Merlin said softly while rubbing her cheek. Freya calmed down as he rubbed his hand on her. She could feel his warm hands on her body.

"Tired. So tired. It's so cold. I'm so scared. Merlin hold me." Freya strained. Merlin held her, feeling her cold body on him. Freya could feel the warmth of Merlin's body. She put her head on his chest because she was so cold.

"Shh. Shh. It's ok. Gaius what about the babies?" Merlin said quietly.

"There is little hope for the babies. What we can do is save Freya. Let's not give up hope. You are special, Freya. Your whole family is special. With the whole family you can keep the babies alive. Don't give up hope. I want you to stay in bed till you give birth. I'll get you something to eat. I'll go tell the others." Gaius said quietly. Gaius left and closed the door.

"I will do all I can to make sure the babies a born alive." Freya said tearfully.

"And I will always stay at your side till you give birth. I will never leave you. I promise." Merlin said happily while holding Freya.

"My Hawk, stay with me for the 2 months of me staying in this bed. Where's Gwen? I need to speak to hear about the babies."

"Ok. Just rest."Merlin said happily and when to get Gwen.

"Strangath." Freya incanted. Then the cup of water came to her. Gwen came quietly and sat in a chair near Freya.

"Hey. How do you feel?"Gwen asked quietly.

"Very tired. Please pray for the babies." Freya said with hope.

"I will. Just get some rest. I know that I should be resting but I can handle the babies kicking."

"I can feel the babies kicking but not as much as I use to. I hope they're ok."

"Well, I should leave you to rest. Bye."

"Bye. Can you tell my kids and Merlin that I want to see them."

"Ok." Then Gwen left the room. "Merlin, Morgana, and Will she wants to see you."

"Let's see mother." Morgana said happily. They went to see Freya who was nearly asleep.

"Hey, Freya."Merlin said softly while holding her.

"Hey, Morgana, Will, come sit with me." Freya said happily.

"Mother, are you going to be all right?" Morgana asked quietly.

"Yes, but who knows about the babies. Let's hope that they will. Now go to get ready for bed and go to bed." Freya said sadly.

"I'll go get them into bed. Then I'll come and sleep in the chair." Merlin said happily.

"No, sleep next to me in bed. I can't sleep unless you hold me." Freya said weakly.

"I will. Morgana, Will, are you in bed?"

"Yes, father." Both said quietly.

"Hey. You 2. Go to sleep. I love you." Merlin said quietly while straightening the blankets and kissing them good night on the forehead. Before he left he blew out the 2 candles and closed the curtains. Then he went out and got ready for bed. He blew out all but one candle. He slept next to Freya like he normally did. Freya fell asleep an hour later. She fell asleep on Merlin's chest.

Freya spent her days resting in bed. Merlin was always there. They would talk, eat, sleep, pray, and sing together. They laughed and played with Morgana and Will. It has been a month and Gwen was about to give birth. It was night and everyone was asleep. Gwen was in a lot of pain.

"Arthur." Gwen said painfully.

"What is it?" Arthur asked quietly.

"I think it's time. You need to get Gaius."

"Ok." Arthur said quickly. He woke Lancelot up and took him to Gaius.

When they got there Arthur said quickly, "Gaius, its Gwen. She thinks it's time. Lancelot stay here. "

"What is it? What's happened?" Merlin asked sleepfully.

"Gwen's about to give birth. Can you watch Lancelot?"Arthur asked breathlessly.

"Yes. Lancelot, come in here." Merlin said quickly.

"Let's go." Gaius said sternly. Leon, Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival where there when Gwen gave birth. Elyan hoped that Gwen was going to be all right.

"Push, Gwen. Push one more time." Gaius said sternly.

"Come on, Gwen. Push." Arthur said calmly. Gwen pushed one more time and gave birth to a girl. Arthur cried as he held his daughter. Then Gwen gave birth to another girl. She held 1 of her daughter. Gaius left.

"What should we name them?" Arthur asked happily.

"The one your holding should be named Mithian. This one is…"  
"Ygraine."

"Ok. My mother's name was Mithian."

"I'll get Lancelot in the morning." Arthur said happily. Elyan got to hold one of his nieces. In the morning Arthur got Lancelot.

"Hey, Arthur, I heard. Congratulation. We watch Lancelot for you. How's Gwen?" Merlin said happily.

"Thanks. Shes okay so are the babies. How's Freya?"

"Impatient."

"A month will come soon." Arthur said happily and left. That night something bad happened. Everyone was asleep. Then Freya woke up. The room was mostly dark. Merlin's desk was near the window. The 2 curtains to her left near the door was were her kids slept. The cupboard was near her husband's desk. Merlin's clothes were on the door, on the cupboard, or on the floor. She looked around. Then she felt the birth pains. She found Merlin's hand and squeezed it.

Merlin woke up and asked seriously, "What is it? How do you feel?"

"I think it's time." Freya said painfully.

"You're not suppose to give birth for a month."

"Get Gaius. Now."

"Ok. Gaius, Freya is in a lot of pain." Merlin said sternly. Freya began to scream in pain.

Gaius took one look at Freya and said sternly, "Its time."

"Morgana, Will, go out and wait with your grandparents. Morgana, go get Arthur. Tell him that Freya's about to give birth. Will, tell your grandmother to get a few towels and a couple bowls of water to help clean the babies. Now. Freya it's ok. Here, hold my hand." Merlin said quickly. Merlin held Freya's hand.

"Merlin, maybe you should go out and wait." Gaius said calmly.

"No. I want to be here when my child or children are born and takes it first breath."Merlin said sternly.

"I want Merlin to stay and see his babies take their first breathes. So he may cry too." Freya said painfully. Morgana and Will did as they were told. For the whole day everyone waited. Freya was in a lot of pain. By nightfall the veins in her head were beginning to show.

"Push. Freya, the baby is starting to come out. Push. It'll be fine." Gaius said quietly.

"Freya, just push. Push then you can rest. I'm here, my Lady of the Lake. Now push. Come on push." Merlin said softly. Then Freya push and the baby began to cry.

"It's a girl, Freya. It's a beautiful baby girl. It's ok. The baby's fine, Freya." Merlin cried in joy.

"Don't leave the second is coming." Freya strained.

"Mother, come here. Now."Merlin yelled.

""What is it?" Hunith asked quickly.

"Watch the baby." Merlin said quickly.

"Push, Freya, push." Gaius said calmly. Freya pushed and out came a baby boy.

"It a boy. Now rest." Merlin cried calmly.

"I can't rest. There's a third baby." Freya said painfully.

"Push, Freya. That's it almost there." Gaius said calmly.

"Come on, Freya. Push." Merlin said softly. Then out came a baby girl who was just barely alive.

"It's a girl. Gaius, let me hold her. Give me my daughter." Merlin said calmly.

"Here, she is going to die." Gaius said sadly.

"The baby. Where's the baby?" Freya said weakly.

"The baby's dead."Gaius said sadly.

"No, it isn't. Ic pe purhheaele pinu licsar mid pam sundorcraeft paere ealdan ae!" Merlin said sternly. The baby began to cry.

"Let me hold her." Freya cried happily.

"Freya, get some rest." Merlin said calmly. When Merlin held his oldest baby daughter he saw Morgause when he looked into her eyes. He took his little girls out to show the others.

"Morgana, Will do you guys want to see your sisters?" Merlin asked tearfully.

"What are their names?" Morgana asked happily while holding 1 of her sisters.

"We haven't named them yet. You also have a brother. Your grandmother and Gaius are trying to see if he'll be all right."

"They're so small. Aren't they suppose to be bigger?"

"Yes. They are but they were born a month early. We hope it won't bother their growth. Your brother is bigger than the girls although he was born in the middle."

"Can I hold my brother?" Will asked happily.

"Yes, you can. This little boy is as bad your father. Born a month early. Also very small." Hunith said happily while giving the baby boy to Will. Everyone congratulated Merlin. That night Merlin was holding his youngest child. Then Freya woke up.

"Hey, just rest. The babies are fine." Merlin said softly.

"Can I hold her? She's so tiny but so beautiful. Lets name her Alicia but her real name is Alice."

"What about the baby boy?"

"Gilli."

"After a kin and friend. I know what to name the other girl."

"What?"

"Morgause. The look in her eyes reminds me of Morgause."

"OK." Freya said happily. The Morgause began to cry. Merlin picked her up.

"Hey, Morgause. Shh." Merlin said calmly while calming his daughter down.

"Gaius said that the girls might have problems and that we need to watch them."

"I know. Mother said that how they knew that I was having problems was the fact I was always crying. I know that Morgana was the same. I guess the girls are like me. The boys are like you."

"Yeah. Ow. Alicia kicked me. How's Gilli?"

"He hasn't cried much. He's going to be ok."

"Good. I know both girls are asleep and that you are very tired. So put them in bed and come to bed."

"Ok."Merlin said exhausted. He did what Freya said and went to bed. For the next week both baby girls cried a lot. Merlin and Freya did not get much rest.

"Gaius, how are they?" Merlin asked sternly with his hands on Freya's shoulders.

"All 3 have the same problems as the 2 older ones and you, Merlin. They will be tall like you Merlin." Gaius said happily.

"Why are they all like me in this problem? It makes no sense."

"True. All they need is help. You guys can do it. I know you can." Gaius said happily. Hunith and Balinor left a month later. Gwen had a servant take Freya's place for a few months named Sefa. For the next 3 month Merlin told Freya to take care of the babies. Sefa loved babies and was like a big sister to Merlin's and Arthur's kids. She helped the kids learn and helped take care of the babies. Everyone liked Sefa. This is where Arthur's Bane begins.


End file.
